Germany

Modern Germany goes back to 1871 when a unified German state was formed. The German defeat in World War I and the economic crisis of the 1920s gave rise to the National Socialist (Nazi) regime in Germany, which provoked World War II. After the war, Germany was divided into the Federal Republic (West) and the Democratic Republic (East). The country was re-unified in 1990. Since then, Germany is the most populous nation of Europe; it is also its largest economy. It is a founding member of the European Union. Christianity spread through the area of Germany from the 3rd to the 12th century. In 1517, Martin Luther issued his 95 Theses at Wittenberg, which signalled the start of the Protestant Reformation. Today, Christians are about equally divided between Catholics and Protestants (of the territorial Lutheran, Reformed, and United churches), with a sizeable Orthodox minority (mostly due to immigration) and a number of Free churches, including Protestants as well as Pentecostals and others. Most of the Orthodox churches are indirect members of the WCC through their Patriarchate, the Moravians and Anglicans through their wider church structures, and the Methodists through the United Methodist Church of which they are part. The Council of Christian Churches in Germany is the ecumenical body, which includes the Catholic Church. The German Evangelical Alliance groups Evangelical Christians in the territorial churches and the Free churches, and is affiliated with the WEA. In 2000, the number of Evangelicals, Pentecostals and Charismatics was estimated at 6.3 percent of the total number of Christians.